5 Tips for Career Success at Pythian

December 3rd, 2012 is a date I’m not likely to forget anytime soon because it marks when I began my career path as a Training Coordinator at Pythian. I’ve only looked back once, and that was just to reflect in awe on the three fantastic months that have just flown by.

Stepping into our office can sometimes feel like stepping into a vortex where time elapses at an exhilarating and ridiculously accelerated pace. My days are spent developing, coordinating, meeting, scheduling, coaching, and thriving. This must be what it feels like when you truly love what you do. Time never drags.

Preparation is often key in any situation where a successful outcome is desired. For the most part, I had felt ready for everything that my new employer was going to bring to the proverbial table. I’ve learned a lot and met amazing people who have provided me with support, advice, and guidance since Day One. This post gives me the opportunity to pay it forward to someone else.

In homage to my three month anniversary at Pythian, I’ve comprised the following list of five tips for anyone who is considering a future within our company.

1. Believe the hype. We’re truly a league of extraordinary people. Our offices around the globe are filled with some of the top IT talent in the world. We have Oracle ACEs, Microsoft Certified Masters, a powerful Executive team, and an internal network of other brilliant minds. Since our services are remote and global, our team is a rich and diverse tapestry of talent. Pythian’s HR team is stringent with their hiring practices and carefully measures the caliber of the professionals they recruit into our environment. A lot of people say this (but thankfully for us it’s true), “Our business is built by the best of the best”.

2. Be open. I’m excited to show up for work because I know that something will have been created by the time I leave. Creative minds are often the catalysts for big change in our industry. The key is to be open.

Be open to innovation.

Be open to growth.

Be open to challenge.

3. Work hard and play hard. Let’s face it—each day in a competitive global market isn’t going to be sunshine and roses. For this reason it’s imperative to seek balance in working and playing hard. There aren’t a lot of offices out there that dare to incorporate fun into the workplace experience. Thankfully, Pythian recognizes that it’s an integral component for success. Pythian Pride is brilliantly shown often throughout the year through initiatives such as Geek Day, Pancake Day, and Volunteer Day. Our interest in giving back to communities has been captured at events such as charity bowl-a-thons, H.O.P.E. Volleyball tournaments, and numerous User Groups around the world. It’s not unusual to see people smiling in our office. In fact, we encourage it.

4. Choosing complacency is a career-limiting move; opt for greatness. Upon entering the doors of Pythian, bring your A-Game. Our environment is a breeding ground of business savvy, technical genius, and “people” know-how. Our agenda for growth over the next five years leaves no room for mediocrity, indifference, or passivity. It’s not enough to like what you do here, there has to be an inherent desire to be the best you can be.

5. Speaking “Geek” isn’t mandatory—but definitely an asset. Before I signed my job offer with Pythian, I didn’t know what a TARDIS was, I had never watched The Big Bang Theory, and I couldn’t have told you anything about the Star Trek trilogies. Geek knowledge has the ability to bring people together and works as a brilliant strategic icebreaker when socializing within this IT environment. Try to give yourself a leg up and speak the language of the people.

There it is. Pretty short and sweet, but in the end, the message is simply this.: When you are given a great opportunity, take it as the gift that it is and create something amazing.

I’ll wrap up this post with quick words of wisdom shared by many of my peers:

“Resistance is futile. Prepare to be assimilated into the Pythian collective.